WriterCon

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt and Rene Gutteridge discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview John Wooley, a writer, novelist, lecturer, filmmaker, and radio and TV host who specializes in the movies, literature, music, and pop culture. He has written, co-written, or edited nearly 50 books, including his new horror trilogy The Cleansing (consisting of Seventh Sense, Satan’s Swine, and Sinister Serpent); Twentieth-Century Honky-Tonk, the true story of the fabled Cain’s Ballroom; and so much more.Chapter 1: IntroductionChapter 2: News1) Authors Challenge AI Data-Scraping Their Copyrighted Words2) Penguin Random House Cuts Staff (as did most of the Big 5)Chapter 3: Interview with John WooleyIn this interview, the author will discuss:1) what it means to "wear them down;"2) why he has written so many diverse projects;3) his expertise in film and music;4) his encounter with Ray Charles; and5) surviving as a writer for more than 50 years.https://johnwooley.comChapter 4: Parting WordsCongratulations to Rene on being a finalist in the ScreenCraft competition!We’ve been talking about WriterCon for some weeks now and probably will till it happens on September 1, but I typically talk about the “big-group” stuff—classes, and pitches, contests, and such. WriterCon also provides many opportunities for small-group or even private or one-on-one encounters, like the Manuscript Reviews and the Private Consultations. That’s September 1-4 (Labor Day weekend) in Oklahoma City. For more info, visit our website, www.writercon.com.Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit. William Bernhardtwww.williambernhardt.comwww.writercon.com

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt and Rene Gutteridge discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Rick Ludwig, author of the Maui Mysteries, including most recently Voice of the Victim.Chapter 1: IntroductionWho Will Win the Golden Ticket (and be interviewed) at WriterCon?Chapter 2: News1) The USA Today Bestseller List is Back!2) Major Publlishers are Using Generative AI—and Agents Want to Stop it!Chapter 3: Interview with Rick LudwigIn this interview, the author discusses:1) how to write honestly;2) what he learned at writing retreats;3) the importance of getting good feedback;4) why he comes to WriterCon each year; and5) the value of journaling.Chapter 4: Parting WordsWriting Momentum has posted a pre-conference video for newbies!Although WriterCon is a large confernce, we still have private opportunities, like the pitch sessions, manuscript reviews, and private consultations. You can schedule one-on-one time with many different knowledgeable people. You can even have lunch with our Guests of Honor, Tosca Lee and Lisa Gardner. That, plus over 60 speakers, three days of classes, and some of the best people in the world should give you more than enough reason to consider coming to WriterCon this year. September 1-4 (Labor Day weekend) in Oklahoma City. For more info, visit our website, www.writercon.com.Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit. William Bernhardtwww.williambernhardt.comwww.writercon.com

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt and Rene Gutteridge discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Tosca Lee, the award-winning New York Times-bestselling author of many mainstream novels like The Line Between, Biblical novels like The Legend of Sheba, the Books of Mortals series with New York Times-bestseller Ted Dekker, and most recently a historical WWII novel, The Long March Home. She is the recipient of two International Book Awards, Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion, and the ECPA Book of the Year. In addition to the New York Times list, her books have appeared on the IndieBound bestseller list, the Library Journal’s “Best Of” list, and many others.Chapter 1: IntroductionBurning WriterCon Issues: Will Jesse Sing Karaoke? (and more)Chapter 2: NewsUpdate: Biden Appoints Supervisor for Book Ban RequestsUpdate: Amazon Adds AI-generated Review SummariesUpdate: Kindlepreneur Adds AI Tool to its book description generatorNew Story 1: HarperCollins Bids on Simon & Schuster (with help)New Story 2: Elizabeth Gilbert Pulls Book After Goodreads Review-BombingChapter 3: Interview with Tosca LeeIn this interview, the author discusses:1) why she writes without an audience in mind;2) how she collaborates with other authors;3) reimagining Biblical characters;4) planning ahead without restricting yourself; and5) the benefits of genre-jumping.Chapter 4: Parting WordsWriting Momentum Has Created a Pre-Conference VideoWriterCon is Sept 1-4 (Labor Day weekend) in Oklahoms City at the Renaissance Waterford, with more than sixty presenters like Tosca Lee, as well as contests, critiques, consultation, classes, plus fun stuff like Open Mic, evening roundtables, and karaoke night. For more info, visit our website: www.writercon.com.William Bernhardtwww.williambernhardt.comwww.writercon.com

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt and Rene Gutteridge discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Janet Yeager, whose debut novel, Brothers by Honor, has just been released. The book launches a series—the Lakeshore Stories—set in Montana and Oklahoma.Chapter 1: IntroductionWriterCon is fast approaching—September 1-4, 2023. Take this chance to gain the knowledge you need to advance your writing career. www.writercon.comChapter 2: News1) Amazon Changes Rules on Selecting Book Categories2) Mary Trump and Jean Carroll Are Writing a Novel!Chapter 3: Interview with Janet YeagerIn this interview, Yeager explains:1) how to start your first novel;2) how to build a writing career;3) how to find your first publisher;4) the importance of writing from the heart; and5) why writing matters in these troubled times.Chapter 4: Parting WordsWriterCon takes place September 1-4 (Labor Day weekend) in Oklahoma City. We have more than seventy presenters scheduled, plus a sensational roster of agents, plus movie/tv agents, editors, publishers, and much more. Every year we’ve successfully helped writers find agents, but this year we’re doubling down on innovation, finding new ways to connect writers to agents. For more info, visit our website, www.writercon.com. William Bernhardtwww.williambernhardt.comwww.writercon.com

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt and Rene Gutteridge discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Andrew Kooman, a Canadian author who writes for the page, stage, and screen. His writing has been translated into more than 10 languages and published around the world. His stage plays have been produced across Canada and the United States, including Off-Broadway in New York City. His critically acclaimed play She Has A Name became a feature film from Unveil Studios and his most recent book is Popcorn Helmet.Chapter 1: IntroductionFather's Day and WriterCon webinarswww.writercon.comChapter 2: News/Focus on Book Banning1) LGBTQ Book Sales Rise Despite Book Banning2) Washington Post Article Suggests 11 People Make Most Book Banning RequestsChapter 3: Interview with Andrew KoomanIn this interview, Kooman discusses:a) writing for the stage;b) the thrill of seeing your words brought to life;c) how his play became a movie;d) how he got into children's books; ande) the challenge of dealing with controversial and heartbreaking events.Chapter 4: Parting WordsLast Call for the WriterCon Small-Group Retreat, July 19-23 in BransonWriterCon (the writers conference) is Labor Day weekend (Sept 1-4) in OKCwww.writercon.comWilliam Bernhardtwww.williambernhardt.comwww.writercon.com

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt and Rene Gutteridge discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Justine Barron. Her work has appeared in Rolling Stone, NPR, and on stages across the country. Her investigative stories have been picked up by national news outlets. And she has pursued her longtime interest in justice by investigating and writing about the death of Freddie Gray while in Baltimore police custody. She has written a new book about it called "They Killed Freddie Gray: The Anatomy of a Police Brutality Cover-Up" which will be released later this year.Chapter 1: IntroductionWriterCon Small-Group Retreat in Branson, MissouriWriterCon Writers Conference in OKC Sept 1-4www.writercon.comChapter 2: News1) Update on "Grief Author" Arrested for Homicide2) Taylor Swift Spurs Pre-Orders for Mystery Book3) Reports of Unprofessional Conduct at New Leaf Lit AgencyChapter 3: Interview with Justine BarronIn this interview, you will learn:1) how she distinguishes journalism in short forms and books;2) best research procedures;3) tackling controversial subjects;4) working with law enforcement; and5) the challenges of writing about current events.Chapter 4: Parting WordsWriterCon is September 1-4 (Labor Day weekend) in Oklahoma City. We have more than sixty presenters lined up, plus the best roster of agents we’ve ever had, including movie/tv agents, publishers, and much more. Every year we’ve successfully helped writers find agents, but this year we’re doubling down on innovation, creating new ways to connect writers to agents. And if you register now, you can take advantage of the Early Bird prices. For more info, visit our website, writercon.com.

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt and Rene Gutteridge discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Susan Meissner. Susan is this year's Friday keynote speaker at WriterCon. She’s a USA Today-bestselling novelist with more than three-quarters of a million books in readers’ hands and in eighteen languages. Her critically acclaimed and award-winning works of historical fiction have been named to numerous lists including Publishers Weekly’s annual roster of 100 best books, Library Reads Top Picks, Real Simple annual tally of best books, Booklist’s Top Ten, Book of the Month, and Amazon Editors’ Pick. Her newest title is Only the Beautiful, which concerns a young mother’s fight to keep her daughter set against the backdrop of WWII.Chapter 1: IntroductionGretting Ready for WriterConThe conference schedule is now on the website so you can check it out and see if there’s anything that might help you get where you want to go with your writing career. And after you’ve reviewed the schedule, check out the list of Speakers. We have more writers, more agents, more publishers, more providing services to authors than we have ever had before. www.writercon.comChapter 2: News1) Woman Who Penned Grief Book for Kids is Charged with Her Husband’s Murder2) TikTok Parent Files Trademark for New Publishing VentureChapter 3: InterviewIn this interview, Susan Meissner will discuss:1) why reading is essential to writing2) finding women's stories in history3) efficient research4) getting to the emotional heart of relationship, and5) what she's doing at WriterCon!CHATPER 4: Parting WordsWriterCon. That’s September 1-4 (Labor Day weekend) in Oklahoma City. We have more than sixty presenters lined up, plus the best roster of agents we’ve ever had, including movie/tv agents, and publishers and much more. Join us! www.writercon.com

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt and Rene Gutteridge discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Nancy Crochiere, author of the new novel Graceland. For thirteen years, Nancy has delighted readers with her humorous and relatable account of family life in her newspaper column, The Mother Load. Now she’s making her fiction debut with a charming, big-hearted novel about a single mom forced to chase her Elvis-obsessed mother and pink-haired daughter to Memphis to prevent them from revealing…her long-held secret.Chapter 1: IntroductionRemembering MomsChapter 2: News: AI Spotlighta) Harper Collins Will Use AI in NYC Publishingb) AI Programs Assimilate Your Webpage, andc) Author Pubs (and Sells) 40 Books Generated by AIChapter 3: Interview with Nancy CrochiereIn this interview, she discusses:a) the joy of eccentric characters,b) the joy of courting controversy,c) the joy of outlining,d) the joy of a regular writing schedule, and e) the critical importance of perseverance.Chapter 4: Parting WordsWriterCon is September 1-4 (Labor Day weekend) in Oklahoma City. If you're a writer, aspiring or published, or you know someone who is, this is where you need to be. WriterCon will feature:3 NEW YORK TIMES-BESTSELLING Authors!!!50+ successful writers talking about their art and craft8 top-of-the-line agents who have actully sold books and made great deals for their writers18 excellent publishers with pro-level distribution and sales20+ people providing services for authors and keeping you up-to-date on the latest book-world developmentsPrizes, games, booksignings, swag, Book Expo, PitchFest, First-Page Panel, karaoke, snacks, signings, Lunch with the Stars, mentoring, manuscript critiques, scholarships, contests, merch, Open Mic, evening roundtable chats, AND SO MUCH MORE!Come join us and take your writing career to the next level!!!www.writercon.comUntil next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit. William Bernhardtwww.williambernhardt.comwww.writercon.com

Bestselling authors William Bernhardt and Rene Gutteridge discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Amy Brewer, senior literary agent at Metamorphosis Literary Agency, a top-flight company with an amazing client list.Chapter 1: 'Tis the Season (for Graduations)Chapter 2: Newsa) James Patterson Sells 100 Million Print Books;b) Barnes & Noble Announces Significant Decrease in Returns; andc) Warner Brothers Announces New Harry Potter TV Series.Chapter 3: Interview with Amy BrewerAmy Brewer wears many hats every day, from literary agent at Metamorphosis Literary Agency, to co-author of the Texting Prince Charming series, to social media manager, to yoga teacher. She graduated from Culver-Stockton College with a theater degree because drama, romance, and angst are lifelong passions. Her intuitive human understanding can help other writers bridge the communication gap and jump into the publishing world. Amy's experience in the mental health field and yoga training help her guide and assist clients with stress and anxiety in this highly competitive industry. In this interview, you will learn:1) the importance of understanding how modern publishing works;2) why you should follow your passions;3) how to reduce the stressful parts of writing; 4) what an agent can do for you;5) what agents are looking for; and6) the primary reasons writers don't get published.For more information about Amy Brewer and Metamorphosis Literary Agency, visit: https://www.metamorphosisliteraryagency.comChapter 4: Parting WordsWe have a five-day writing retreat (July 19-23) in Branson, Missouri, and there is still space available!The large-group conference, WriterCon, is September 1-4 (Labor Day weekend) in Oklahoma City. We have more than sixty presenters lined up, plus the best roster of agents we’ve ever had, including movie/tv agents, and publishers, and editors, and much more. And if you register now, you can take advantage of the Early Bird prices.For more info, visit our website, writercon.com.Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit.William Bernhardtwww.williambernhardt.comwww.writercon.com

Bestselling authors William and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Cary Herwig, the author of many published books, including most recently her Army Brat Hauntings series. The second installment, The World Ends at the River, has just been published.Chapter 1: IntroductionI organized the WriterCon Cruise! Why did Jesse get a robe and I didn't?Chapter 2: News1) James Patterson Angry at NYT Bestseller List2) Agents Are Looking for Romance3) Mass Firings at Hachette and Severance Packages at Harper4) Draft2Digital Adds Print Production & DistributionChapter 3: Interview In this informal chat, Cary Herwig will discuss:1) why she turned to young adult fiction;2) where the "Army Brat" idea came from; 3) the appeal of ghost stories;4) why she's a pantser; and5) how to sustain a long-term writing career.Chapter 4: Parting WordsThe 2023 Cruise is over but you can still register for the WriterCon Conference. That’s September 1-4 (Labor Day weekend) in Oklahoma City. We have more than sixty presenters lined up, plus the best roster of agents we’ve ever had, including movie/tv agents, and publishers and much more. Every year we’ve successfully helped writers find agents, but this year we’re doubling down on innovation, finding new ways to connect writers to agents. And if you register now, you can take advantage of the Early Bird prices. For more info: www.writercon.comUntil next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit.William Bernhardtwww.williambernhardt.comwww.writercon.com